The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-04-29
THE BOLDEST YET.
The Most AudaciOus Train
Robbery on Record.
RIG REWARD FOR THE THIEVES
The Dared evils Capture Southern
Pacific Mail and Express Cars
aad Take S5,OOO-Etc,
a Fold Robbery

SAN FRASCIsco, April 28.-One OF the
most audacious, desperate and success
ful train robberies ever recorded. o.
Cured Yesterday, on the west bound
overland train on the Southern Paclhc
Railroad, near Tucson, Arizona. a
sueciaI dispatch TO the Ersning Bulletin,
this afternoon, from Tucson, gives the
details of the affair as follows; The
vsst-bouud express due here at 10 30
last evening, was stopped and robbed
at Papago Station, eighteen miles east
~ here. about g. 80 o'clock last evening.
THE number OF men engaged in the
mi hey is var ously estimated at from
five 20 eight. Colonel Harper, engineer,
when approaching Papago, side sta
finn was signalled by red lantern to
SION He slowed down, and as he ap-
nroached the light noticed distractions
IN the track, so placed that in case he
FslIed to stop the engine it would
sDread the track and derail itself. I'm
mediately on stopping, dozen or
more shots we're fired into the express
car. and q man with a pistol in each
hand boarded the locomotive, and COM
handed Harper to get down. The
other robbers had, in the meantime,
been irving TO open the express car,
and took all the money they could
find. The money obtained from Wells,
Fargo & Company was about SIS 900.
No passenger was molested. The rob-
bsrs did not enter the passenger cars.
When the robt ers went away on the
locomotive, which they appeared able
to run, they left the engineer and fire
man standing beside the track. The
engineer and fireman followed the
course taken, and took the locomotive
and cars back to the train, and pro-
ceeded eastward. No one was injured.
have not heard as yet whether the
mail was robbed.
Additional facts were received con
cerning the robbery in dispatches to
Wells, Fargo. These were that the train
was held Up three miles east of Papago,
in q cut. The mail was robbed as well
as the express. When the news was
carried back to Pantano concerning the
robbery United States Marshal Mead,
and deputy, and two deputy sheritfs
and two others started after the train.
The LOGON olive and cars were found at
the whisthug post about a nile west of
light put out, and the air brakes on .
There was no trace of the robbers. Mar
shall Mead sent for troops to Fort
Lowell, and thirty-five soldiers left
there at clock this morning to scour
the country.
Immediately upon the receipt of the
news at the office of the Southern
Pacific Company in this city, A. n.
TOwne, general manager, issued the
following circular with orders to the
COmpsny's agents to post it in a con-
spiCiOus place: Mail and express cars
on our Wesl-bound express train when
alta point seventeen miles east of Tus-
con, A. T., st 10 o'clock last night, were
stopped and robbed Dy four or five men.
The Southern Pacific Company hereby
offer reward of 81 900 each for the ar
rest and conviction of the robbers, which
IS in addition to a like reward offered
by Wells, Fargo & Company's Express.
In addition to this, We understand the
United States Postoffice Department
hasa standing reward of 5000 each for
the arrest and conviction of persons en-
gagged il robeing the ais"
From information received by him,
General Manager Towne said this after
noon in reference to the affair: There
we're i've shots fed from the bank by
tas robbers into the express car after the
Train had been brought to a stop. The
ROBBERS had placed ties on the track
ana red signal was waved to stop.
When the train came TO standstill the
engineer and fireman were ordered to
get of the engine, which they did,
Then they were each given stick OF
giant powder and told that they must
compel the mail agent and express
messenger to oren the car, or the rob
DerS would, with revolYers, compel
them TO light dynamite to DESTROY the
cars! Under these threats, the express
messenger and mail agents abandoned
their cars. The robbers then uncoupled
the locomotive, express and mail cars
from the train. and got ON the engine
ana ran down the track two miles there
they stopped the car. Failing to get it
open, they placed stick of giant pow
der under IL and compelled Harper to
light the fuse attached. This he was
Obliged to do, but to avoid being blown
up, the messenger opened the car and
the robbers took possession. After ex
ungulShlng the fuse, they took charge Cf
me car, uncoupled the engine. baggage |
and express car from the remainder of |
- -iAIs 41aOc 44dA per 5ct Oh TIE SQ- |
glne and pull ahead two lengths. This |
Being done. Harper was again put of
ana the robbers took charge of the
engine and pulled six miles toward
tucson. Here they killed the engine
ana lett 1t. During the run the robbers
went through the mail and express cars.
nut did not get more than 5000. They |
got two packages of railway money. OF Q
$40 and enc $500 aud also took two
packages al postage st&ia ps. going to
the postofiCe al San Francisco. It's
reporter that the express messenger
Threw $3.50 gold into the stove, aud so
saved Il from the robbers. .Nothing
Wa k"o va here Of the affair until pas
tt1-ihiEAt, WIN q telegram was received
Eom Pan-duo, q brakeman having
walked eight miles to that place. 4
special was sent down and he trail
prought IN a 6 this morning None OF
t9e passenger were moiested. Some
VI the passengers knew nothing
oI the trouble until after Their
arrival here. Under Sheriff Shibeu
vas early or the scene of the trouble
" Hut could discover nothing that would
'eSa Ia the irentity of,the robbt rs.
Len uaIers IN e. Deputy sheriff